Bronze Medal Winner In Weightlifting at CWG 2022 From Udupi Gets Rousing Welcome In The District

Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 Bronze medal winner in weightlifting P. Gururaja, a native of Vandse in Kundapura Taluk, Udupi district, was given a rousing welcome by the district administration on his arrival to the hometown in Udupi on August 7, Sunday. Deputy Commissioner M. Kurma Rao and Municipal Commissioner Uday Shetty felicitated the medallist on behalf of the administration. He was received at the Mangalore International Airport by Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D. Veerendra Heggade along with BJP State President Nalin Kumar Kateel.

Competing with Canada’s Youri Simrad on July 30, Mr. Gururaja lifted a total of 269 kgs (snatch-118 kg; clean jerk-151 kg), one kg more than Mr. Simrad, to clinch the second medal for India in the CWG 2022.

Born to truck driver Mahabala Poojari and homemaker Paddu Poojarthi, Mr. Gururaja, with eight siblings, had a tough beginning in life. Gururaja shifted to weightlifting while studying for graduation at the SDM College in Ujire, with the guidance of PE Director Rajendra Prasad. Gururaja did his under-graduation and got advanced training in weightlifting at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheshwara College, Ujire.